The New York Academy of Sciences in partnership with the Journal of Cell Biology is planning an important 2.5-day conference entitled, "Cell Biology of Disease: Chromosomes, Cancer and Stem Cells." This meeting will be held in September, 2009 at the New York Academy of Sciences Conference Center in New York City. The principal investigator for this grant is Rebecca Heald, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at UC Berkeley. The symposium will focus on basic science, but will provide some integration with subsequent clinical applications so that bench researchers and clinicians can develop a mutual understanding of the potential for translation of basic research into effective therapeutics. The goal of our conference is the presentation and dissemination of information about cell biology and disease. The program will address recent advances in our understanding of disease pathology at the cellular and molecular level, with a focus on cancer. Presenters will discuss diseases caused by chromosomal abnormalities, DNA repair mechanism defects, and other nuclear irregularities. The meeting will also highlight progress in stem cell research with a focus on its application to cancer and diseases. Finally, a major goal of this meeting will be to highlight the best and brightest young scientists currently working in this field. Conference attendees should achieve an appreciation of the latest breakthroughs in our understanding of the molecular and cellular pathology of disease. The conference will include a combination of keynote addresses, plenary lectures, poster presentations and will culminate with an interactive panel discussion. The conference is carefully planned to include ample opportunities for networking. We anticipate that the conference will attract wide participation among senior investigators, post-doctoral fellows, and industry scientists working in the fields of molecular biology, cell biology, and immunology. Public Health Relevance: The goal of our 2.5 day conference is to discuss cell biology and disease. The program will address recent advances in our understanding of disease pathology at the cellular and molecular level, with a focus on cancer. The meeting will bring together experts from a variety of different backgrounds and fields to discuss this important unifying theme.